Formal PDS Agreements

Ensuring Commitment to the Partnership

Formal agreements are negotiated and signed by district superintendents and their board of education president of the PDS districts and charter schools every three years. The WCE dean, university chancellor, provost and board of trustees president also sign this agreement in a celebratory ceremony.

These agreements reaffirm the importance of the partnership goals and the responsibilities inherent in them. While reflecting the importance of flexibility in meeting the needs of individual partners, the agreements also ensure that the program goals are not compromised and that continuity and equity in partnerships remain foremost in the PDS vision.

UNCW and Area School Systems Sign New Three-Year Partnership Agreements

On June 4th, 2009, UNCW Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo, Watson College of Education administrators and superintendents representing 117 schools in Southeastern North Carolina signed the new Professional Development System (PDS) agreements for 2009-2012.

PDS is a comprehensive university-public school partnership involving 11 school districts, one Department of Defense school and one charter school. Developed 15 years ago, PDS is designed to create university-publicschool collaboration in the placement of UNCW student interns, professional development for school educators and research opportunities for district teaching professionals and UNCW faculty. These efforts are particularly critical during this time of teacher shortage and school reform.

PDS Agreements 2002-2005